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Philippine government defends typhoon response

Last Modified: Thursday, November 14, 2013 9:29 PM

TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government on Friday defended its efforts to deliver assistance to victims of
Typhoon Haiyan, many of whom have received little or no assistance since the monster storm struck one week ago.

"In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough," Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said in Tacloban, most of which was destroyed
by the storm one week ago. "The need is massive, the need is immediate, and you can't reach everyone."

Government officials have given different death tolls, both actual and estimated, as a result of the storm.

Given the scale of the disaster, and infrastructure and communications problems, this is not unusual.

The spokesman for the country's civil
defense agency, Maj. Reynaldo Balido, confirmed early Friday that the
figure had risen
to 2,360, hours after the United Nations issued conflicting
reports on how many people had died. On the ground in Tacloban,
authorities handed out a situation report stating that 3,422
people had been killed on Samar and Leyte islands, the two most
affected areas.

Some officials estimate that the final toll, when the missing are declared dead and remote regions reached, will be more than
10,000.

At least 600,000 people have been displaced.

Authorities are struggling to meet their
immediate needs. This often occurs in the aftermath of major disasters,
especially
in already poor countries where local and national governments
lack capacity. It often leads to criticism in some quarters.

The pace of the aid effort has picked up
over the last 24 hours, according to reporters who have been in the
region for several
days. Foreign governments are dispatching food, water, medical
supplies and trained staff to the region. Trucks and generators
are also arriving.

A U.S. aircraft carrier is moored off the coast, preparing for a major relief mission. The fleet of helicopters on board is
expected to drop food and water to the worst affected areas.